The Theaters of Euclid Avenue:

A Sampling of Cleveland Venues That Featured Vaudeville

Around the turn of the 20th century. Vaudeville was everywhere. And downtown Cleveland was hardly an exception. Within a mile or so of Otto Moser’s pub stood dozens of vaudeville venues—ranging from performance palaces like the Miles and Hippodrome, to less-ostentatious places like the Cleveland, Lyric, and Priscilla. By the 1910s, many spots interspersed live shows with films. Others eventually converted to all film and some stuck with vaudeville until it was no longer a “thing.” Among the many Playhouse Square theaters built in the early 1920s, only the Palace and the State were built for vaudeville.

The number of theaters on Euclid Avenue alone was larger than any of today’s Clevelanders might imagine. Following is a quick live-theater stroll down Euclid Avenue 4-5 generations ago. Many are pictured below.

229 Euclid: The Princess (1920-1930)

402 Euclid: The Euclid Avenue Opera House (1875-1922)

410 Euclid: THE BIJOU DREAM (1904-1916)

515 Euclid (approximate): The People’s (1885-1892)

709 Euclid: The Columbia/Star (1887-1977)

720 Euclid: The Hippodrome (1907-1981)

Euclid at East 9th St.: The Euclid (1914-?)

1519 Euclid: The State (1921-present)

1615 Euclid: The Palace (1922-present)

4505 Euclid: The Euclid Garden (1904-1911)

5000 Euclid: The Metropolitan, now the Agora Theater (1913-present)

8315 Euclid: The Knickerbocker (1913-1952)